Expedition Team

Jack Grove

Greg Estes

Isabela II

The 38-guest Isabela II, with 20 ocean-view staterooms, is one of the most luxurious yachts cruising the Galápagos. All guest staterooms are spacious and include private bathrooms. The Isabela II is fully air-conditioned and has the amenities of a larger vessel, including a bar, dining room, and sun deck. She carries sea kayaks, Zodiacs, and a glass-bottom boat.

Gear Up!

UPF Rash Guard & Snorkel Top

Protecting you from the occasional encounter with “stingy things” and keeping you comfortable while getting up close and personal with the Galápagos’ playful sea lions, sea turtles, rays, and penguins, this UPF 50-rated, versatile top is a must for your marine adventures in Darwin’s living laboratory.

Beyond the Destination

You’re exploring some of the most wildlife-rich regions of Mother Earth, in particular the nutrient-rich Humboldt Current, and have been schooled in the remarkable research and discoveries of Alexander von Humboldt.

In 2012 Zegrahm cofounder, Jack Grove, led our annual journey to Las Islas Encantadas, Ultimate Galápagos. The trip was spectacular in every way, but Jack made a special connection with one of our passengers—10-year-old Ben Perez.

The Galápagos Islands have been referred to by Herman Melville as ‘enchanted,’ and by Charles Darwin as ‘a living laboratory of evolution.’ I was privileged to live there for seven years and carried out marine research in the archipelago for more than three decades.

Can't say enough good things about the trip. Jack, Socratese, and Antonio were fantastic guides. They went out of their way to make our experience the best it could possibly have been. Jack and I even did a rendition of Ernie Ford's 16 Tons, though truth be told we may have enjoyed it even more than our audience!

The Isabela II has just crossed the equator and has anchored off the shallow cliffs of Genovesa in the Galápagos Islands. It’s 6 a.m. and a partial eclipse is devouring the moon like a giant wafer. Jack Grove springs into a yogic shoulder stand as he does every morning, despite the rocking movement of the boat.

Dr. Jack Grove, Zegrahm Expeditions’ cofounder and expedition leader, recently contributed to a report that outlines how climate change, overfishing, and tourism have negatively impacted the Galapagos Islands’ delicate ecosystem. In just a few decades, 45 Galapagos species are thought to have already disappeared or are teetering on the verge of extinction.